1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital media. More particularly, the present invention relates to digital rights management for digital media.
2. Background Art
Although digital media distribution is growing in popularity and becoming a viable alternative to purchasing retail physical media for many consumers, there are still significant barriers present before consumers can wholly embrace digital media without reservations. Many of these reservations revolve around the limited interoperability between different playback devices or service providers, and the possibility that media files may become inoperable in the future due to new formats or protection schemes. For example, competing digital media distribution channels may use incompatible media formats and proprietary DRM systems, and the closing or termination of video offerings due to financial difficulties or company ownership changes may leave consumers with media files that cannot be consumed anymore.
Thus, there is a need for interoperable protected contents that can survive changes in the distribution market and provide continued service to consumers regardless of the original distribution channel used and the original media file format. In this manner, consumers can easily switch service providers, use protected media across a wide variety of playback devices, and remain confident that playback of protected content is ensured into the future. Similarly, content producers can remain confident of relying on digital distribution of protected media as a viable and sustainable business model. However, to ensure such interoperability in the most straightforward method by simply dictating a single DRM methodology, many existing DRM systems and distribution channels may need to radically modify established and proven operating procedures, a proposition that may find little enthusiasm in the marketplace. In addition, this would create a single security point of vulnerability.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a way for digital media to interoperate across different service providers and media devices in a manner that requires minimal disruptive changes to existing digital rights management paradigms, distribution models and consumption models, particularly with respect to key management and protected media file storage and distribution.